FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 July 2010

patrick@jeffbarnettforcongress.com
 
Barnett Campaign Will Hold Ten Town Hall Meetings

McLean, VA -- Jeff Barnett, Democratic Nominee for Congress in Virginia’s 10th District, announced that he will hold ten town hall meetings across the District.

“Frank Wolf has agreed to one debate and one forum, but that’s not nearly enough. That’s why I’m putting together ten town hall meetings. 10th District residents deserve the opportunity to question their candidates on the issues they are most concerned about and to hear opposing views” said Jeff Barnett. “It’s disappointing that Frank Wolf is ducking the tough issues by refusing to debate me in more than one place, but these town hall meetings will allow voters to hear from at least one of their candidates directly,” Barnett continued. “I look forward to an open exchange of ideas about our future.” 

The schedule for the town hall meetings is as follows:

Chantilly: Monday, August 9 from 7:00-8:30PM at Chantilly Regional Library

McLean: Wednesday, August 11 from 7:00-8:30 at McLean Community Center

Manassas Park: Monday, August 16 from 7:00-8:30 at the Manassas Park Community Center

Great Falls: Tuesday, August 17 from 7:00-8:30 at Great Falls Library

Ashburn: Tuesday, August 24 from 7:00-8:30 at Ashburn Library

Leesburg: Wednesday, August 25 from 7:00-8:30 at Thomas Balch Library

Front Royal: Thursday, August 26 from 7:00-8:30 at Samuels Library

Winchester: Monday, August 30 from 7:00-8:30 at the Public Safety Building on Coverstone Drive

Warrenton: Wednesday, September 1 from 7:00-8:30 at the Warrenton-Fauquier Visitors Center

Herndon: Thursday, September 2 from 7:00-8:30 at the Herndon Fortnightly Library

“There is a stark contrast between the two candidates in this race,” said Marc Abanto, Jeff Barnett’s Campaign Manager. “Unlike his opponent, Jeff Barnett embraces the challenge of debating policy proposals. He is more than willing to talk to voters across the political spectrum. These town hall meetings will demonstrate Jeff’s command of the issues and prove the strength of Jeff’s approach to addressing the problems of the 10th District and of our nation.”

In case you missed it, here's a blog post Jeff penned last Friday over at Blue Virginia

Yesterday was a great day for our Country.

Two years after reckless speculation and inadequate regulation nearly destroyed our economy, Congress took action to make sure it will never happen again. Consumers have the strongest protections ever, and taxpayers will never again be asked to bail out banks that are "too big to fail."

Yesterday, B.P. also completed a promising first test of the well cap. For the first time since April, oil appears to have stopped flowing into the Gulf. I join millions of Americans in hoping that the drilling of the secondary well is successful and that relief from this disaster is permanent.

McLEAN, VA – Jeff Barnett, Democratic Nominee for Congress in Virginia’s 10th District, has challenged Rep. Frank Wolf (R, VA-10) to a rigorous series of debates, the Barnett campaign said. (See a copy of the full letter here)
 
“Mr. Wolf and I have fundamental disagreements on how to prioritize and resolve the problems facing the 10th District and our Nation,” Barnett said. “We owe the voters an open and complete discussion of our differences. Virginians should not have to rely on 30-second commercials, glossy campaign mailers, and packaged sound bites to learn about our campaigns. Voters deserve more. Voters deserve to hear our ideas directly.”
 

McLEAN, VA – Jeff Barnett, Democratic Nominee for Congress in Virginia’s 10th District, praised the House of Representatives for passing the much-needed Wall Street Reform Bill (H.R. 4173 – The Restoring American Financial Stability Act).

“We all remember the financial crisis of 2008. We remember the uncertainty and the fear. We watched in horror as millions lost their jobs, and we saw trillions of dollars in wealth evaporate into thin air. Then, we waited in frustration as political gridlock prevented Congress from addressing the real causes of the collapse. That wait is finally coming to an end. Last night, as the House of Representatives took a significant step towards preventing another financial crisis, Frank Wolf took a step backwards.”

McLEAN, VA – Jeff Barnett, Democratic Nominee for Congress in Virginia’s 10th District, has praised President Barack Obama’s decision to replace General Stanley McChrystal with General David Petraeus as Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and U.S. Forces, Afghanistan (USFOR-A).
 
“I am proud of the way President Obama handled this situation. He acted swiftly and decisively, and he put the success of our mission ahead of politics. That’s the kind of pragmatic leadership that I will bring to Washington when I am elected this November.”
 

For Immediate Release   

McLEAN, VA – Jeff Barnett, Democratic Nominee for Congress in Virginia’s 10th District, released the following statement this morning. “I was very saddened to learn of the passing of Senator Robert C. Byrd. The late Senator was a towering figure in the American political landscape, a true statesman. His learning, his passion, and the depth of his institutional memory are irreplaceable.”
 
“Even as we mourn the passing of Senator Byrd, we look with hope to the future he helped create,” Barnett said. “Today’s America is a better place because of his 51 years of service. All public figures should work towards achieving some small portion of those virtues that shone brightest in the late Senator: a proud commitment to the independence of the legislature, and a tireless dedication to advancing the interests of the millions of people who gave him their vote – and their trust – over the decades.”
 
“I encourage all Virginians to direct their condolences to 311 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC  20510. As soon as I receive information about memorial arrangements, I will make it available online.” 

In an important editorial this week, the Loudoun Times-Mirror called for a dignified and respectful campaign that focuses on matters of importance to the 10th District, and warned that the incumbent cannot consider his seat secure at a time when so many voters are looking for a change. The paper's editorial board challenged both candidates to make frequent joint appearances, stressing the importance of giving voters a chance to hear a good discussion of the issues. I couldn't agree more - I am looking forward to a rigorous and open exchange of ideas with Mr. Wolf. Read the full article here.

Cross posted on Blue Virginia

On Tuesday night, I met the people who are going to be running for Congress a few years from now. I spoke to the people who are going to be helping our businesses create the next generation of jobs. I talked with people who are inspiring and organizing their communities.

Here’s the great thing - most of them were only in their 20s.

The Fairfax County Young Democrats invited me to join them for some pizza at their meeting last night and, never one to turn down an opportunity to combine good food and good politics, I was pleased to accept the invitation.

Last week, I wrote about how the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico should remind us of the ultimately unsustainable cost of our addiction to fossil fuels. This week, I’d like to share my thoughts on a recent development with one of the most promising alternatives to fossil fuels: wind power. The barriers to harnessing the power of wind energy are not technological – they are primarily political. We have had wind power generation capabilities for years, but our leaders haven’t been active enough about setting standards for the adoption of renewable energy, investing in a transmission grid to deliver power from generation sites to consumers, or creating a consistent and reliable regulatory framework. An outdated transmission system is one of the primary reasons why alternative energies only meet a small portion of our national energy demand.